Rebecca Willis, 67, of Evansville, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to eight counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Willis was employed as a bookkeeper with an architecture firm at its Evansville location for more than twenty years. She had various financial responsibilities, including handling accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll.
Between 2006 and 2021, Willis entered false payroll data to unjustly enrich herself. She inflated her regular hours, overtime hours, bonuses, and mileage reimbursement to cause her employer to pay her more than she was actually owed. Willis’ bi-weekly pay was generally 40% fraudulent and 60% legitimate. Additionally, Willis used the company’s business account and company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases of items that she retained for her personal use and benefit, including gift cards and gasoline. In total, Willis stole approximately $570,209.47 from her employer over fifteen years.
“This defendant lied, stole, and cooked the books to line her pocket with no remorse, betraying her employer of two decades and repaying their trust by fraudulently increasing her income by nearly forty percent over fifteen years,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fraud and embezzlement can have devastating effects on companies. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that those who commit financial crimes will pay a serious price. I commend the FBI, Evansville Police Department, and our federal prosecutor for their efforts to investigate these crimes and hold the defendant accountable.”
The FBI and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. Willis was also ordered to pay $570,209.47 in restitution to her former employer.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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